Confined
by SuperPsychoLove
Summary: Set after the first movie! Erin escapes an abusive relationship and a sad past when she shows up on her cousin Will's doorstep. Between her hidden talents (nothing supernatural) and the Lennox's family friend, she almost forgets all the pain. Almost. Very slowly progressing IronhidexOC relationship
1. Prologue

**AN: Very short prologue to a new idea I had. R&R please! Will update very very soon! :)**

_Erin Lennox walked out of her fiance's house and to the beat-up pick-up truck in the yard. She lived there too, but it was his just like everything else. "Hurry up, bitch! We gotta go!" yelled a tall muscular man sitting in the driver's seat already. "Sorry, honey, I was locking the front door." she mumbled timidly. "Speak up, bitch, when you talk to me." he said angrily. "Yes sir." she said as she got in the vehicle._

_The drive to Walmart was filled with tense silence until Ronny, her future husband's cellphone rang. It was a drinking buddy he talked to often, and since he was preoccupied, she thought it might be okay to turn the radio on a very low volume. The song hummed through the speakers, its melody temporarily soothing her._

We're drivin' slow through the snow on Fifth Avenue

and right now the radio's all that we can hear.

And we ain't talked since we left, it's so overdue.

It's cold outside, but between us it's worse in here.

_Ronny shot her a death glare, but didn't bother turning it off until he was finished with his phone call._

The world slows down, but my heart beats fast right now.

I know this is the part where the end starts.

_He continued down the road as Erin thought back to when they had first stared dating. It was a slow paced relationship. It was a corny 'boy meets girl' thing. It was perfect. She thought it would last forever. Now, she just wanted it all to end. He was a jock in highschool and she was the very opposite, so she knew she was lucky to have him in the first place. She had been with him for four years now, having met him when she was sixteen. He proposed to her a week ago and she'd tried to explain that she wasn't ready, but after the beating she was forced to accept. She still had scabby cuts on her arms and back from where he beat her with his belt buckle like an abused child. She forced a tear to not fall down her cheek at the memory. She truly loved him, but she knew deep down that he didn't feel the same._

I can't take it any longer, thought that we were stronger.

All we do is linger, slippimg through my fingers.

All that's left's goodbye to find a way that I can tell you.

I hate this part right here. I hate this part right here.

I just can't take your tears. I hate this part right here.

_Her thoughts were interupted when Ronny slammed his phone down into the truck's console and turned to glare at her. "I was on the phone." he said through gritted teeth. "I'm so-" she began, but was cut off as he turned the radio off and slapped her across the cheek. A whimper escaped her throat, but she didn't cry. She knew that if she cried, he'd only punish her worse when they got home. She had already gotten pregnant once, but he beat her so badly that the baby died. He was always rough with her, but when she made him angry, it sparked something inside of him that she feard deeply. It turned him on to see her so submissive and afraid. He'd even told her that before. So when they came back from the trip to the store, she wasn't surprised that after dinner, he stripped her down and got to it. After he collapsed beside her like always, she got up as quietly as possible and went to the bathroom to dress her wounds. She wiped the blood from her private parts gently (not THAT kind of blood though) and cleaned her cuts and bruises. After popping some pain killers, and putting the rest in her purse, she quietly packed her bag, knowing he would most likely not wake up when he had drank several beers beforehand. She threw in a good amount of clothes and several pairs of shoes, along with her iPod and charger, headphones, and her razor blade wrapped in a paper towel so she wouldn't cut her finger on it. _

_After finding the keys that Ronny so blatently threw on the coffee table, she snuck out of the door and pulled off in HIS truck. After driving around aimlessly for a while considering her options, which weren't many, she decided her cousin Will might be the most acceptant. She knew it was totally unreasonable to show up on their doorstep and expect them to help her, but he and his wife Sarah were all she had._

_Well, Maine wasn't that far from Mississippi... right?_

**AN: NO FLAMES PLEASE! :) Sad right? Yeah... :/**


	2. Chapter 1: This Is New

**AN: Hope you like it! R&R pweeeaaase!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers...**

Well, turns out Maine wasn't close to Mississippi at all. Erin had been driving forever and her butt was starting to get numb when she finally reached what she remembered to be Will and Sarah's home. She couldn't lie about being nervous. She hadn't seen her cousin or his lovely wife in over a year. They knew about Robby, but they didn't know what he did to her. Everytime he went around her family, which was almost never, he acted like a gentleman. And boy was he a good actor.

Erin pulled the car into the snowy driveway and took another look in the rear-view mirror before getting out. What if she looked so bad they didn't recognize her? She was already nervous enough to be around Will. Not that he would do anything to hurt her, she just had an extreme fear and hatred toward men. Her last boyfriend before Ronny, his name was Laurel, had been a dream guy too. She had been with him almost a year until he cheated on her and she broke up with him for Ronny. _Nice taste in men, Erin. _she scolded herself, thinking back on her exes.

As she looked in the mirror, she saw a sad, angry, scared girl. An ugly one at that. And she didn't like her curves. She found herself to be too big in her breasts and hips, but too small in her waist. Nonetheless, Ronny had wanted her to atleast look decent, so he bought her clothes all the time. Name-brand ones at that. Right now she was wearing a black frilly tank-top and black skinny jeans. Over the top, she wore a faded navy blue hoodie with paint spots stained on it. She wore black velvety flat boots on her feet, but the thin bottoms in them didn't keep out the cold and damp snow on the ground. Her hair wasn't done at the moment, but she had brought her curler, straightener, and crimper with her. Right now it was up in a messy bun with twigs falling down by her face every now and then. It was about dinner time and she saw people bustling back and forth inside the warm-looking abode. Slowly and hesitantly, she walked up to the door and knocked, putting on her fakest smile yet.

Sarah answered and a smile beamed on her face when she saw her cousin-in-law. "Erin! It's been forever!" the blonde woman exclaimed happily. Erin heard will ask who was there before coming to the door himself. "Sweety, look who's here!" she practically squealed at her husband and then turned back to Erin. "Oh, I missed you! We have so much to catch up on and I can't believe you would even come and visit with us! It's great, honey!" she cooed at the twenty-year-old in front of her, who was less than seven years younger than herself. "Hi..." a surprised Will began.

"Hey, Will. Sarah" Erin smiled weakly. "So what brings you here?" he asked curiously. They were close, but he knew that Erin would never willingly visit anyone. She wasn't exactly a people person. And she especially would't come without...

"Where's Ronny?" he asked her. Erin wasn't at all shocked to hear this, but still at the mention of his name, she had to fight back tears. "What's wrong sweety?" Sarah began in a much calmer tone as she saw the liquid building in her cousin-in-law's eyes. "Here, come in."

Will hurried in before Sarah and put Anabelle in her room. She was in her terrible two's so he knew she would irritate Erin. She'd never been kid-friendly anyway.

Sarah led Erin into the living room and sat her on the couch. "Would you like something to drink? We're fixing dinner now, so if you're hungry you can stay and eat." the blonde offered. "No thank you." was her simple reply. Then she began to explain. "You remember Ronny, right?" she asked. The couple nodded. "Well..." she continued and held her index finger up with the small diamond ring on it. Sarah seemed overjoyed for her and Will smiled from ear to ear. After they were done congradulating her, Erin let her head hang low. "We're not married yet." she said. "So did you come to invite us to the wedding?" Will asked. "Yeah when is it?" Sarah pestered further. Erin hesitated before replying. "Never." The look on her relatives' faces were of confusion and horror. "What?!" Sarah asked. "I left him. And I was wondering if I could stay with you guys until I find a job and everything." Erin said in a monotone. The room was quiet until Sarah made her disapproval known.

"Why would you leave him?" she wondered aloud.

"He hurts me." Erin replied. Obviously they didn't understand, because Will began to explain to her that all relationships have pains and that they needed to work it out to become stronger. Erin grew aggrivated at how he talked to her like a child, so she decided just to show them. She stood up in the middle of his lecture and pulled off the hoodie to reveal all the bruises and cuts on her arms. She continued to roll her pants legs up and push her boots down so you could see the same cuts and bruises on her legs. She pulled her shirt up to reveal her stomache and back until everything was visible except her wrists and private areas.

Erin looked at the couple as tears filled her eyes. Their faces showed they were mortified and angered. As she put her clothing back on properly, she looked Will and Sarah in the eyes. "Do you still think I should 'work it out'?" she asked, mocking Will's earlier statement. The whole house was quiet for a minute. Then Sarah broke the silence. "You need to see a doctor." she managed to say. "NO." Erin immediately refused. She knew that if she went to a female doctor, all she'd get was a pity party and a male doctor was totally out of the question. "They'll make me call the police." she lied. Sarah looked at her husband and then back at the girl before them.

"Come on, let's getcha fixed up." Sarah said gently and tried to lead her to the bathroom.

-Later-

After Sarah had cleaned and wrapped some of Erin's wounds, she led her to the guest bedroom. Will brought her bag in and sat it by her bed. After changing into some pajamas that would hide her wounds, Erin walked over to the mirror to examine herself. She wore a long-sleeved black shirt with some faded band logo on it, her grey and white pajama pants with designs on them, and some black socks. Not long after that, she collapsed into bed from exhaustion. Funny. She usually never went to bed before midnight. It was nine o'clock.

-Next Morning-

Erin awoke the next morning to crying. She had the same old nightmares the previous night, but this time she was pretty sure it wasn't her crying. She drowsily got out of bed and walked out of the room and her eyes widened when she made it to the hallway. Will was sprinting to Anabelle's room _So that's who was crying. _obviously trying to get her dressed. She knew Anabelle had to go to daycare, so Erin didn't bother asking and just walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

She saw Sarah sitting at the table drinking coffee with a cheery smile on her face which made Erin slightly jealous that she herself wasn't a morning person. But beside her was someone Erin didn't know. And by the looks of him, she didn't want to. He had black hair and bright blue eyes. She assumed he was one of Will's military friends due to the way he was dressed. He wore a tight black T-shirt that showed his abs perfectly, and black cargo pants tucked into black combat boots. _He looks like a fucking assassin! _The man stared at her wearily like he had no idea who she was. Obviously, Will hadn't explained the situation to him yet. "Um... hi." Erin said quietly. She was petrified, but not of his appearance. No, her eyes were locked on his huge muscles. Muscles that could hold her down and rape her or break her bones with ease or rip her tender flesh.

Sarah noticed her wide-eyed expression, looking like a deer in headlights. So did the man. "Hello, femme." he said calmly. He was very obviously trying his best to be polite, but it wasn't working. Atleast not for Erin. She backed up slowly before running into the wall. "Erin, honey, don't be scared. This is Will's friend, Ironhide."

"... Ironhide?" Erin whispered, wondering about the strange name. "Yes, but if you would prefer, you can call me Ron." he said in a gruff voice with a hint of an accent. "Ron?..." she repeated, trying to stay calm. She was never a crier at all. In fact, she was the opposite. Being with Ronny, she learned that crying didn't help. If anything, it made her ex-fiance angrier.

So she fought the tears, and forced them not to come. Instead, she looked away from them. "May I call you Ironhide?" she asked, nervously. He gave her a nod. "Thank you, sir." she replied before going to sit at the table at the seat farthest from him. Ironhide looked at Sarah, waiting for an explanation. She tried to use facial expressions to make him understand the situation, but it didn't work. He just looked away, confused. "Erin, this is is Ironhide. He lives with us." she said calmly in a soothing tone. Erin's eyes shot uo to Ironhide, who tried to look at her with a kind face. "S-staying... here?" she asked quietly. Sarah nodded with a smile.

Erin felt dizzy. She couldn't see straight. This man would hurt her. He would beat her and rape her and talk to her like Ronny did. He reminded her of Ronny just more built up, which only added to her fear. She ran over to the trash can and vomitted. "Ugh..." she moaned when she was finished spilling her stomache contents. Sarah had ran over and put a hand on her shoulder, and apparently Ironhide had too, because when she looked up, she saw his bicep which was right near her head. She jumped back and almost knocked the two out of their squatting positions. "Please... don't hit me. I'm sorry." she said to Ironhide. The look on his face was complete and utter shock and bewilderment. "She was abused, 'Hide. For three years by her husband. He raped her, beat her, talked to her like shit! So next time something happens, please try not to freak her out!" Sarah hissed at him. She wasn't angry at Ironhide, he didn't know. She was just protective of her cousin-in-law at the moment.

Ironhide's eyes grew wide and he stood up. "I think I need an explanation." was his calm response.

-Later-

Well, Will took Anabelle to daycare and picked her up. Sarah explained in detail what was going on to Ironhide and Erin went to bed early, for good reason of course. At the end of the day, Ironhide apologized and when Sarah walked past Erin's bedroom door, noticing it was cracked, she looked in, and there sitting on the bed was Erin. Listening to her iPod. Humming along with it. To a happy song. She looked normal. She looked like a teenager. She looked better. Even if it was trivial, it put a smile on Sarah's face. When Will walked up and looked in the crack of the door, he smiled too, at his wife. "Ya think she likes it here?" he barely whispered. "Yeah." Sarah replied. "Maybe we can get her to make an appearance at the cook-out tomorrow. Ya know it's gonna be here, so maybeeee..." Sarah drug out her words. Will smiled wider. "Maybe." he replied. "Invite Trisha. She can sing a few songs and she might get along with Er." Will thought aloud. Trisha was the daughter of a woman Sarah worked with. She was sweet as could be, but she was only fifteen and didn't know about the autobots. Luckily for them, neither did Erin.

**AN: Like it? Review!**


	3. Chapter 2: Proper Introduction

**AN: OMIGOSH Guess who makes an appearrance in this chapter? HOLOFORMS! As I said in the summary, the romance in this story will be very slow and later on Erin will have strong friendships with the other bots, but no relationships! This story is strictly Ironhide/OC! So here ya go! No flames! :)**

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

"Er-" Sarah began.

"Don't call me that. It sounds like 'air'." Erin interrupted.

Sarah smiled at her before she continued. "Okay then, ERIN, I think you deserve an explanation for yesterday." Erin just nodded. "Ron- uh... Ironhide, here-" she addressed the brute on the opposite couch. "-is a military friend of Will's. He's been staying here for some time now, and we tone. Erin just nodded and looked over at him. Usually she was a very sweet and confident person, but in the presence of men she tended to shy away in fear.

Erin had gotten out of bed just over an hour ago when she heard Anabelle crying. That seemed to be a frequent thing lately. It was almost lunchtime and it was Saturday. In Erin's opinion, it was the best Saturday in a long time even though she'd prefer it just be her, Sarah, Will, and Annabelle. Ironhide still unsettled her and she couldn't stand to be in his presence.

"SO..." Will made a dramatic entrence, snapping Erin out of her trance-like state. "The barbeque?" he said randomly.

Erin was beyond confused. Barbeque? That sounded delicious, but somehow she assumed that he was referring to a get-together instead of the food item. "Barbeque?" she asked beginning to feel anxious. "Yes. We've been planning a barbeque for the past few weeks!" Sarah returned to her peppy self. "We'd love it if you'd come!" she exclaimed.

Erin just stared at her. _You're kidding, right? _She looked at Will. "This isn't gonna be like all those trips to the lake when I was little, right? Ya know, the older kids and adults have fun while I'm left to babysit? I won't have to be the one to watch Annabelle will I?" she accused.

Will and Sarah looked slightly irritated, but instead of starting an arguement with the poor girl, Sarah just complied. "You won't be babysitting anyone. You have my word."

Erin considered it until a thought crossed her mind.

"Who all will be there?" she asked.

Sarah remained quiet, but Will spoke up. "Just a few friends of mine from the base. And Sarah has a friend at work whose daughter really enjoys to sing, so I thought we could invite her and maybe have some entertainment."

Erin disregarded the second half of the sentence and just focused on the part about his 'friends from the base'. They would most likely be men, which would have her on edge the whole time. She really didn't want to go anyway, being her extroverted self. But, on the other hand, if she said no they'd probably think she was rude and unsocial. _Ugh. Why did they have to do this today? _

She looked up at Sarah and hesitantly at Will. She mentally groaned one last time before giving in. "Alright." was all she had time to say before Sarah attacked her in a fit of hugs and 'thank yous'.

-Later-

Most of the day was spent with Will grilling various meats and Sarah cooking other yummy foods. Ironhide was nowhere to be seen.

Erin sighed and walked over to her closet. It wasn't cold outside, but it wasn't hot either and Erin needed some time to figure out what kind of outfit to put together. She looked down at the scars on her wrists and winced. Some of them were less than several days old. She hated seeing them all the time, and she also hated cutting herself. She'd never been one for pain, but lately found the addiction to be too strong to quit. She contemplated cutting right then and there. The blood would be dried before everyone got there and with all the bracelets she always wore, nobody would notice. But then there was the possibility of getting blood on her clothes, which would humiliate her.

As if she wasn't already shameless. Showing up at her cousin's doorstep after running away from her own boyfriend. _I'm such a coward. _she thought bitterly. Walking back to her closet for a second time, she settled on some black skinny jeans, a black and white checkerboard button-up blouse, multiple bracelets, and some grey heeled boots.

When she deemed herself decent, she walked down stairs to where she heard people chatting.

_Oh god. I can't do this. Nope. Can't do this at all._

She tried to walk back upstairs to the shelter of her room, but was called back by Sarah. Reluctantly, she came back down the stairway very slowly. _Oh god. I don't know if I should be attracted to them or terrified of them._ she thought to herself. But it was obviously retoricle as she was leaning toward the second option.

In the kitchen stood Will juggling plates of meat as he ran back and forth out the patio doors, setting up the buffet. Beside him was Ironhide who was also holding multiple items, probably assissting Will. But in the living area stood Sarah talking to a slightly older woman with short red hair. Beside the older woman was an overweight balding man. _Probably her husband. _On the couch sat two teenage girls and a boy. One of them was his girlfriend. Erin could tell by the way he sat so close to her. The teen boy had short brown hair and was average height and weight while his girlfriend's hair was black and very long. She had perfect blue eyes and her perfect tanned body was showed off with leather pants and a pink tanktop. The girl next to her had curly blonde hair that was pulled into a high ponytail. Her skin was slightly tanned also, but she was skinnier than the other. She wore a lacy white tanktop over a pink cami and white shorts.

Their was an african american man sitting at the dining table in casual clothes. The rest of the people were just standing around. She noticed a well-built guy in a short sleeve buttonup shirt and trousers. He had messy brown hair and wore glasses and a lab coat. _Must be a doctor._ Next to him was a very tall man whose muscles could rival Ironhide's. He wore a white T-shirt, dark jeans, and a jacket with red and blue flames on it. _Huh. Suits him._ Next to the teenagers on the couch was a short boy. He couldn't be any older than the boy on the couch. He had blonde hair with a black streak underneath. He wore a yellow T-shirt with a black stripe on it, khaki shorts, and black Vans. He also had a huge smile plastered on his face.

Before Erin could examine any more of the room's occupants, Sarah dragged her by the arm over to an unoccupied chair and made her sit. Erin shrunk under the stares of those around her. She hated it when people looked at her. _Oh please, Sarah, don't do what I think you're about to do. _she thought.

Sarah stood in the middle of the living area and loudly announced "Everyone, this is my cousin-in-law, Erin!" She sounded way too enthusiastic in Erin's opinion, but then again, she was always like this.

Everyone's eyes moved to her and then to Erin. They looked as if they all knew her story, and they probably had already been informed, but she hated seeing pity in their eyes. Soon, however, Will walked in and eased the awkward silence, suggesting that he introduce Erin to everyone personally.

He pointed to the tall guy first. "Erin, this is Orien." he said. The man smiled warmly at her and added "It is wonderful to meet you." She just smiled and looked at her shoes.

Next, he introduced the man in the white lab coat as "Dr. Randy". _So he is a doctor. _She smiled, forcing herself to be polite, and said "Nice to meet you." in a kind tone. He smiled. "Same to you, Erin." He sounded very professional. Come to think of it, so did the other guy.

Will motioned to the blonde standing near the sofa. "This is Ben." he said. Ben only waved at her, which she found odd, but waved back with a small grin. "He's mute." her cousin informed her.

"This is Sam and his girlfriend Mikalea." he addressed the teens on the sofa. "Hi." Mikalea said happily. _Another Sarah._ Erin thought, smirking inwardly. "Hey." Sam said. "Hey." she replied, giving them both a small wave. "And these ar Sam's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky." he said about the older couple by Sarah. Erin exchanged a smile with them.

Will held his hand out toward a black-haired man in the corner of the room, who wore jeans, a red shirt, and a leather jacket. "This is Denny." he said. "Ciao, piacere di conoscerti." Denny spoke up. Erin could tell he was speaking Italian, but had no clue what he was trying to say. After a few seconds of not getting a response, he corrected himself. "Hello, nice to meet you." he said. Erin blushed slightly at his thick accent and just nodded.

"And these two are twins, Sunny and Sides." Will continued. They were both well-built but skinnier than most of the others. Sunny had black hair with a blonde streak and Sides had black hair with a red streak. They both wore jeans, T-shirts, casual jackets, and Jordans. However, Sunny's shirt was yellow where Sides' was red, and Sunny had gold sneakers where Sides' were silver. _Very color coordinated, aren't they? _Both of them grinned widely at Erin, and Sunny winked at her. "Nice to meet you, baby." he said flirtily. Sideswipe grabbed her hand, and before she could pull back, he planted a light kiss on it. Her eyes got wide and she shuddered. Half from her ragin hormones and half from disgust. Snatching her hand away, she turned back to her cousin.

Will was eyeing the twins dangerously, but turned his attention to two younger males. They definately weren't any older than Ben. Maybe even a year or two younger. They were both caucasion, but they dressed like gangster. Sagging pants and long-sleeved T-shirts. The brunette one had a baseball cap on while the blonde wore a tobogan. "These are the other twins, Skylar and Mason." Will informed her. "Nice to meecha!" Mason cut in. "Ooh hoo, you lookin' good!" Skylar chimed in an uneducated tone. Erin took a step away from them and just nodded.

He turned his attention to a shorter male standing by Orien. He was well-built but not as much as the rest. He wore a plain grey shirt and dark jeans. "This is Pete." he stated simply. The man just gave her a polite nod. _Dang, you're about as social as me. _she thought, but smiled sweetly at him.

Next, he motioned to a redhead with a military cut wearin a teel sweater and grey pants. "This is Heath." he said. Heath smiled. "Nice to meet you, young lady." he said. "You too." she replied. _Young lady? I'm no younger than you! _she thought, but kept quiet.

Will looked to the other corner of the room where three girls stood. They were muscular to be woman, and favored eachother greatly except for the fact that each of them had dyed their hair different colors. "These are the triplets." he said. "Aurie," he referred to the one with hot pik hair. "Christy," he referred to the one with purple hair. "And Ellie." She had blue hair. Erin gave them a more honest smile than the rest. "I like your hair." she said. "Thanks!" replied Ellie with a smile.

"And lastly, we have John." Will said. John had black hair and was dressed in a dark blue shirt with black jeans. He had a small amount of facial hair, which reminded Erin of Ronny. Pushing that thought out of her mind, she smiled at him and waited for one of her family members to say something else.

**AN: There ya have it! Next chapter, Erin will lighten up a little bit I promise! So R&R please and I'll update even faster! By the way, who can guess all the autobots that I added holoforms for? Leave your comments in the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 3: Me, Myself, and Time

**AN: OMG Thank you so much to my regular reviewers **Answerthecall **and** Bee4ever **! BTW **Bee4ever **ALL OF THE HOLOFORMS CORRECT FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! So glad you could tell who they were! Haha. :P So I didn't really know where to go with this chapter but I hope ya likey! :) R&R!**

Erin walked over and sat down on the sofa in the living room. She grasped her iPod tight in her sweaty hand as the tangled purple headphones wrapped around her fingers. Everyone else had gone outside, except for Sarah who was apparently making dessert.

Sarah POV:

I stole quick glances at my cousin-in-law sitting on our couch. She seemed very uncomfortable and I considered telling her she could go back up to her room. But that wouldn't be in her best interest. In fact, it would only attract more attention to her, as everyone would ask where she was.

"Erin..." I spoke sweetly to her. She really was a very friendly person when you got to know her.

"Yeah?" I heard her response.

"You should be outside with everybody else, hon."

"No thanks, I'm fine."

That's always been her response to offers that she didn't want to accept. I'd known her since I'd met Will, and I could read her like a book. I put the pie in the oven after checking to make sure it looked okay, and sat down next to her. She didn't look at me, just gripped her iPod tighter. That was always what she'd do to get out of stuff. She'd put her headphones in and pretend to be typing something until people left her alone.

"Erin."

She looked up at me and then back down to her lap.

"Why don't you wanna socialize? Make some friends? I know everyone here personally and I can promise they won't do anything to hurt you." I tried to reassure her.

"They look at me like I'm pitiful... they know, don't they?" she said. I was slightly surprised that she picked up on that when she was barely paying anyone any attention. "Yes. Will thought it'd be a good idea if they knew so that they wouldn't do anything inappropriate. He was just looking out for you." I tried to put it delicately so she wouldn't get mad at me.

All she did was put her headphones back in and turn on a song. I sat there with here until the timer sounded and I had to take the pie out and set the table outside.

Erin POV:

Why couldn't Sarah leave me alone? I knew she was only trying to help, but I didn't want all those people to know what I'd been through! It was humiliating enough for Sarah and Will to have found out! Maybe I should have just gotten a hotel room with the money I had instead of coming here.

Sarah left after I started listening to some music. _Ah, iPod, you're so good at getting people to leave me alone. _When I had first put my headphones in and turned it on shuffle, loud music blared through my ears. I inwardly groaned. Righ now I had no use for songs like this one. It was 'Eenie Meenie' by Suan Kingston and Justin Beiber. _Ugh._ I quickly scrolled until I found one that suited my fancy. I sat back on the couch and listened.

_I can make the rain stop, if I wanna, just by my attitude._

_I can take my laptop, record a snapshot, and change your point of view._

_I just entered this brand new world, and I'm so open-hearted._

_I know I've got a long way to go, but I'm, I'm just getting started._

_I'm over my head and I know it. I know it._

_I'm doin' my best not to show it. Show it._

_Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm gonna try._

_Cuz I'm livin' the dream and I know it. I know it._

_And I'm doin' my best not to blow it. To blow it._

_And I know everything will be fine with me, myself, and time._

She got tired of the song, and decided it didn't relate to her situation enough. She liked to be able to identify with her music. So, she changed the song.

_Take a deep breath, and you walk through the doors. It's the morning of your very first day._

_Say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while, and try to stay out of everybody's way._

_It's your freshman year, and you're gonna be here for the next four years in this town._

_Hopin' one of those senior boys will wink at you and say "You know, I haven't seen you around here before."_

_Cuz when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them._

_And when you're fifteen, feelin' like there's nothing to figure out._

_Well, count to ten, take it in, this is your life before you know who you're gonna be._

_Fifteen._

Normal POV:

Erin snatched the headphones out as tears threatened to spill down her face. The song defined her relationship with Ronny when they first met. Except she was sixteen, but still. It hurt to hear the truth. She knew he never really loved her, but she did love him. She thought he was the one, but she was so mistaken. She looked down at the ring she still wore on her finger and a tear fell down her cheek. About the time she was gonna burst out in full-fledged tears, the patio door flew open.

"Erin, what'r'ya doin'? The party's out here!" Will said with the same grin plastered on his face as he'd had since they were little. Erin put her iPod in her back pocket when she noticed his sly smile.

"What?" she asked, wondering what he was planning.

He jerked his head toward the door and waited for her to come with him.

She sighed. _I can think of five hundred things I would rather do than go out that door._

She stood and walked with him outside. Her eyes widened as she saw the microphone sitting in his backyard along with amps and speakers and other musicy stuff. _What the freak did he do?!_

She noticed the blonde girl from earlier. He had never introduced her, though. She was standing behind the mic with an electric guitar. The girl walked over to Erin as soon as she spotted her. "Hi, you're Erin, right?" she asked happily. "...Yeah." Erin said.

"I'm Trisha! But you can call me Trish or T."

"Ok... Nice to meet you."

"You too! Mr. Lennox said you were gonna sing a few songs with me!" she exclaimed, obviously excited.

Erin looked at Will. "Will." she said, containing her anger. "You said what?"

Will just looked around awkwardly before replying. "Look, you were the best singer I'd ever met when we were little, and I know you still like music so why don't ya just try?"

Erin was beyond irritated. She was pissed off.

She turned and stomped back toward the entrance to the house. She reached for the door, ready to open it and go inside to the safety of her room, but someone grabbed her arm. She turned around planning to give them a mouthful when she saw the tall guy from earlier. He had black hair _Well actually, now it looks like dark blue. _and wore the white T-shirt with a flamed jacket. The man let go of her arm and began to talk.

"Excuse me, Miss, but may I ask why you choose to exit so soon?" he asked politely.

"Because I don't like crowds." she stated simply, shrinking under his gaze.

"My I ask why?" he pondered.

"Because I just don't. Now, can you please let me go inside." she tried to make her voice sound strong, but it came across sounding like a choking chipmunk.

He paused for a second before replying "Freedom is your right." and walking off.

She looked at him like he was an idiot, but then walked back up to her room.

-Meanwhile-

The autobots were very reluctant to attend the 'barbeque', but Will had insisted they take a day off. Now that they were here, most of them were enjoying themselves. Of course, Prowl was acting antisocial and all the twins wanted to do was cause trouble, but that was to be expected.

"Ironhide!" Will yelled from across the yard and the brute's head snapped to his charge. "Sir." Ironhide responded.

"T's tellin' me she lost her guitar pick. Can you ask Erin if she has one?" Will responded. "Oh, and she's inside; I think I might've pissed her off!"

The weapons specialist simply nodded. "Noted."

-Inside-

Erin sat on her bed singing. That was the only thing that helped her when she was upset and she knew nobody could hear her from out there.

_S.O.S. please. Someone help me._

_It's not healthy for me to feel this way._

_Y.O.U. are making it hard._

_I can't take it. It don't feel right!_

_S.O.S. please. Someone help me._

She stopped singing and tried to come up with a song that matched her situation a little better. After a moment of thinking she began humming another tune.

-Meanwhile-

Ironhide walked into the house scanning the living area and kitchen. When he didn't see the girl there, he walked up the stairs. When he'd made it to the hallway, a sound filled his holoform's ears. _Was the girl singing?_ He was about to barge in and ask for one of those 'pick' things, but decided to stop outside her door and listened. From what he heard about her, the lyrics fit her pretty well.

_Days like this, I want to drive away._

_Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade._

_You chewed me up and spit me out_

_like I was poison in your mouth._

_You took my light, you drained me down._

_But that was then and this is now._

This was foolish! Why was he sitting here listening to a fleshling's strange vocal patterns? Without another thought, Ironhide knocked on the wooden door.

-Meanwhile-

_SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!_

Erin panicked as she heard the knocking. _What the fuck, I thought I was alone! _she mentally screamed as she cautiously approached the door. Maybe she could pretend she didn't hear whoever it was? No that wouldn't work.

"... Who is it?" she asked

"It is Ironhide. Major Lennox has requested me to ask if you might have a 'pick'?" a gruff voice came from behind the door. She rolled her eyes. _All this for a damn guitar pick! _She walked over to a small cup she had on her nightstand. She hadn't brought anything with her except some clothes and stuff and her guitar picks. She hadn't had time to gather her guitar case or anything else, but her uncle had let her use an old accoustic guitar he had bought but never learned to play. It worked pretty well considering the dust and cobwebs that coated it.

As she walked over to the small cup filled with a supply of picks that would last her about a year, considering she always lost them, she picked up a bright green one with the maker's logo on it and walked to the door.

When she cracked it, Erin saw the gigantic man once again. Flinching when he reached to take the piece of plastic from her hand, she mumbled a 'here you go' and slammed the door.

"You're welcome." she heard him say, awkwardly, and walk away.

_He's not going to hurt you. He isn't Ronny! _she tried to convince herself, but it didn't work.

_I'll do it. I'll talk to him, and talk to them, aand everything will turn out okay. Eventually._

_I'll do it. _she kept telling herself. _It's just a matter of time._

**AN: Short chapter I know. But I've had a gazillion plot bunnies hopping around in my head and I'm working on a new story! Anyway... I'll still update this one and my other stories as much as possible! So R&R! It makes me update faster! And thank you to all my readers!**


	5. Chapter 4: Go Ahead, Let Your Hair Down

**AN: I know, I know. This is honestly the shortest chapter I've ever posted on any of my stories. But I just wanted to hurry up and get it up so you guys know I'm not dead. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my less than 300 word update.**

Erin sat on her bed, staring out the open window. Well... more like _glaring_ out the open window.

She looked at all the happy faces below. Sarah was talking with one of those girls from earlier while Will boasted (probably) about his amazing grilled burgers.

A sad smile forced its way onto her face. That would never be her.

No matter how hard she tried, it seemed that she would never find her happily (albeit suburban) ever-after.

With one last bitter glance through the glass, she stood and made her way to the door. Even if she was definately _not _singing, she could still listen to that other girl perform.

OoOoOo

Her plan was foiled before the toe of her boot could even touch the grass.

As soon as Will heard the screen door shut, he (and coincidentally everyone else) turned to stare at her.

It was a very happy stare. Nothing rude. But when you have crippling anxiety, even that can set you on edge.

"What're you _looking_ at?" she demanded.

"I dunno, I was wondering the same thing." he quipped with a bright grin.

Ugh.

She always had hated his dopey sense of humor, and now, standing in front of a crowd of strangers as the brunt of one of his lame jokes, she wanted to castrate him.

But she managed not to, although she did have to exert a little extra effort to keep her anger under control.

"Ha. ha. That's the funniest thing I've heard all year. You're a real comedian, Will." she deadpanned.

And, then, as an afterthought, added "I have to say, though, that joke is a bit old. I think I remember you telling Jennifer Fletcher the same thing when we were little and her punching you in the face."

To her surprise, the entire backyard exploded with laughter.

Even Will and Sarah were cracking up, and some of their house guests were cackling.

In fact, she was the only one there who apparently didn't find the jab all that funny.

"I've got to say, I like this one." She heard Ironhide mutter.

At the moment, with embarrassment clouding her thought process, she couldn't figure out why, but that made her happier than anything she'd heard all day.

**AN: If you review, I'll update again sooner ;)**


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